Surface pipe bracing and centering means



Jan. 29, 1952 A. B. JOHNSON SURFACE PIPE BRACING AND CENTERING MEANS FiledSep'b. 4, 1947 2 SHEETS-SHEET l INVENTGR. A Z 57in B.c7ohnsa n Jan. 29, 1952 JOHNSON 2,584,022

SURFACE PIPE BRACING AND CENTERING MEANS Filed Sept 4, 1947 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 INVENTOR.

Patented Jan. 29, 1952 SURFACE-PIPE BRACING AND CENTERING 'MEANS .Albin B.. Johnson, Hutchinson, Kans.

Application September 4, 1947, Serial No. 772,106

4 Claims. 1

In the process I of drilling fan oil-well with the hydraulic. rotary method, it .is necessary to pre vent contamination of the surface water with the mud used in drilling and with salt water found a'tlower depths. For this-purpose, several joints of casing are placed inthe hole to a depth of from 150 to 1500 and this surface casing is cemented in place. The upper end portion of this casing is within the usual "cellar (a .pit dug in the ground about 6'square and 6' deep) ,;and, therefore, approximately 7 :of this casing :projects :above the bottom of said cellar. It is necessary to rigidly brace this upper end portion of the: surface casing with respect to the derrick base frame. Otherwise, the vibration :produced by the kelly and the rotating drillpipe'will whipandiknock the surfacecasing loose, not "only resulting in inaccurate drilling but causing trouble (drill stem joints striking upper end of: surface casing) each time the drill pipe must be withdra-wnrfrom the casing and re-inserted, and these operations must be performed approximatelyevery 200' or 300' in order to replace worn drilling bits.

-Heretofore, it has been customary to bracethe upper end of the surface easing with wooden timbers or by means of steel braceswelded to the derrick base frame, but the former method is far from satisfactory and the latter requires the presence'of a welder and weldingequipmentwhen starting the well and again upon completion.

It hasbeen the object of my invention to provide new and improved means for effectively bracing the surface casing to the derrick base frame, of such construction that it may be quickly and easily set in operative position, and may be. released and moved aside with equal facility, without the use'of any special equipment or tools, and without the services of a welder.

vl ig;v 1 is a' fragmentary top plan view, partly in section, showing the invention operatively associ ated with-a portable derrick base frame and a surface casing.

Fig.2 is 'an enlarged vertical sectional'view, partly in elevation, substantially on line 2--2'of Fig; 1.

Fig.3 isa further enlarged longitudinal section, partly in elevation, showing one of the adjustable struts.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of one of the struts as viewed at a right angle to Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of one of the forks used in detachably connecting the struts with the derrick base frame.

In the drawings above briefly described, a preferred construction has been illustrated, and

2 while ,thatconstruction will be rather specifically described, it is to be understood that variations may be made within the scope of the invention as claimed.

The invention has been shown in connection with the base frame 6 of a portable derrick, and said .base frame embodies I-beams or other horizontal frame members 1, 8, 9 and II) to jointly surround a surface casing I I projecting upwardly from thebottom of a so-called cellar I2.

I provide four longitudinally adjustablestruts I3 which are detachably and pivotally coupled at It to the frame members I, 8, 9 and I0 respectively, and are provided with suitably shapedseats I5 to engage the surface casing II, the coupling or mounting means I4 being so located that the struts I3 will occupy horizontal positions in which they extendradially fromthe casing I I, when set in position to bracegthe casing to the base frame 6.

As shown more particularly in Figs. 3 and 4, each adjustable strut I3 includes an elongated tubular body It having the outwardly-facing, transversely-curved seat I5 welded or otherwise secured to its inner end and having its outer end open, saidouter end having a thrust collar I'I welded or otherwise secured thereto. .A screw I8 extends into the tubular body I6 through its open outer endand is preferably provided with a 90 box thread. A nut I9 is threaded on the screw I8 and abuts the thrust collar I1, anda lock nut 20 is also threaded on said screw to abut the outer end of said nut I9. The strut may thus be readily extended or contracted in length. Suitable provision is made to hold the screw I8 against rotation while the nut I9 is being tumed to extend or retract the strut, and while looking or releasing the lock nut 20. In the present showing, the screw I8 is provided with a diametrical pin 2|, the ends of which are received in longitudinal slots 22 formed in the body I 0. The outer end of the screw I8 ispreferably roundedas shown at 23 and abuts the inner side of .a flat head-plate 24, said head-plate having in- Wardly projecting flanges 25 which terminate in inwardly spaced relation with its ends and straddie the screw. These flanges and the screw are pivoted together by means of, apin 26 which extends diametrically through said screw and has its ends received in slots 21 in said flanges. By having the rounded outer ends of the screw 23 abut the head-plate 24, strain is taken from the pin 26 and the flanges 25. These flanges may of course be welded or otherwise secured to the plate 24.

Upwardly open forks 28 are welded or otherwise carries a U-shaped plate having a notch in its upper edge, so that upwardly extending furca-' tions 29 are spaced horizontally from the web of the beam. Thus, the outer ends of the adjustable struts I3 are detachably connected with the base frame 6 and moreover are pivotally connected therewith (due to the pin 26). Thus, when the struts are not in use, they may be readily swung aside. When they are to be used, they are positioned as seen in Fig. 1 and adjusted to center the surface casing H with respect to the rotary, and to rigidly brace said casing to the derrick base frame. During transportation of the machine, the struts may of course be removed and carried in some safe way to prevent loss. After the struts have been adjusted to proper position, they are locked against possible loosening by means of the lock' nuts 20.

From the foregoing, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be seen that novel and advantageous provision-has been made for attaining the desired end, and while preferences have been illustrated, attention is again invited to the possibility of making variations within the scope of the invention as claimed.

' 1. In combination with the bese of a well drilling derrick, said base having frame member spaced apart to jointly surround the upper end of a surface casing; a plurality of longitudinally adjustable, horizontal struts for radial'disposition around the surface casing, the inner ends of said adjustable struts having means to' engage the casing, the outer ends of said adjustable struts being provided with flat pivoted heads projecting horizontally in oppostite directions therefrom and abutting the inner sides of said frame members of said base, and upwardly forked retainers fixed on the inner sides of said frame members in spaced relation thereto, said retainers straddling said adjustable struts at the inner sides of said heads, said retainers and the pivots of said heads being so positionally related that said retainers will not interfere with swinging of said struts upon said pivots when said struts are not in use.

' 2.'In a device of a class described, an adjust able strut comprising an elongated tubular body having an outwardly-facing, transversely-curved seat rigidly secured to one end of said body, to engage a surface casing, a screw extending slidably into said tubular body through the other end thereof, an adjusting nut threaded on said screw and abutting said other end of said tubular body,

the latter having between its ends opposed, longitudinally extending slots, a transverse pin the inner end of said screw having its ends slidable in' said slots for holding said screw and body against relative rotation, a head-plate transverse to the outer end of said screw, two flanges secured to said head-plate and projecting inwardly therefrom at opposite sides of said screw. and pivot pin extending through said flanges and screw to pivotally connect said head-plate and screw, said flanges having opposed slots to receive the ends of said pivot pin, said slots being arranged to permit the outer end of said screw to abut the inner side of said head-plate when said screw is perpendicular to the plane of said headplate. 3. In a device of a class described, an adjustable strut comprising an elongated tubular body having an outwardly-facing, transversely-curved seat rigidly secured to one end of said body, to engage a surface casing, a screw extending slidably into said tubular body through the other end thereof, an adjusting nut threaded on said screw and abutting said other end of said tubular body, the latter having between its ends opposed longitudinally extending slots, a transverse pin in the inner end of said screw having its ends slidable in said slots for holding said screw and body against relative rotation, a head-plate transverse to the outer endof said screw, two flanges secured to said head-plate and projecting inwardly therefrom at opposite sides of saidscrew, and a pivot pin extending through said flanges and screw to pivotally connect said head-plate and screw.

4. In combination with the base of a well drilling derrick, said base having frame members spaced apart to jointly surround the upper end of a surface casing; a plurality of longitudinally adjustable, horizontal struts for radial disposition around the surface casing, the inner ends of said adjustable struts having means to engage the casing, the outer ends of said adjustable struts being provided with flat pivoted heads projecting in opposite directions from the longitudinal axes of said struts and abutting the inner sides of said frame members of said base, and upwardly forked retainers fixed 'on the inner sides of said frame members in spaced relation thereto, said retainers straddling said adjustable struts at the inner sides of said heads, said retainers and'the pivots of said heads being so positionally related that said retainers will not interfere with swinging of said struts upon said pivots when said strutsare not in use.

' ALBIN B. JOHNSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITEDSTATES PATENTS Rhodes Mar. 19, 1940 

